This is a conversation I often have with clients. Many businesses take a really narrow view – ‘it’s what we put on our web, print on our brochures or broadcast via our ads’. Effectively what they push out in the hope it will hit their target customer and get them to respond.
Well, yes, that is a part of marketing but it’s not the whole or, I would argue, what truly matters.
If the objective is to positively impact how customers (both current and prospective) think and feel about you then viewing marketing in a traditional sense isn’t going to cut it.
An exercise I get clients to undertake is to map out their touch points or, put another way, the customer journey. Where, when and how do customers interact – from the first time they hear about you, to the physical or online experience, right through to when they pay and beyond.
What is the experience and what impression are they left with? Does it reinforce the value proposition or detract? Is it consistent (at a minimum) or does it truly excite and tell a story about your offer?
It is the sum of these experiences that impacts your brand and its potential for growth.
And, of course, everyone in the organisation touches customers in this way. At each point of the customer journey everyone has the potential to impact on the customer experience and thus the brand perception.
This means, therefore, that marketing delivery goes well beyond the marketing department.
So marketing is, in effect, what we all do each and every day… much more than a brochure or a website!
James works with a wide range of organisations from large to small, start up to established. He facilitates planning and strategy workshops, undertakes reviews, develops insights and ideas, and mentors and coaches leaders. As Chair of the Growth Leaders Forum he helps business leaders unlock their potential and chart a path to growth – http://www.vantagemarketing.com.au/
